Model Airliner Kits
Discussion
A bit of a niche area when it comes to model kit building. I've always been interested in what would now be considered "classic airliners" - probably because they remind me of halcyon planespotting days at Dublin Airport in the 1970s when I was a feckless and broke teenager.
I've had a couple of projects on hold for a number of years and I decided to revitalise them and get them finished. The two kits involved are the Airfix 1/144 Boeing 737-200 and their De Havilland DH121 Trident 1C. Both models were originally released in the mid to late 1960s and are a bit iffy when it comes to fit and detail. However, in 1/144 scale, a lot of the detail is invisible and best sanded off anyway.
This is where they are at present after sanding back old and rubbishy original attempts at painting and a session of renewed painting. So far, all the paint applied has been Halford's acrylics. Next up will be applying the red wings to the Trident - which will be finished in the BEA Red Square colours of the 1960s.
The 737 is going to be finished as an Aer Lingus machine from the 1969-74 era.
I've had a couple of projects on hold for a number of years and I decided to revitalise them and get them finished. The two kits involved are the Airfix 1/144 Boeing 737-200 and their De Havilland DH121 Trident 1C. Both models were originally released in the mid to late 1960s and are a bit iffy when it comes to fit and detail. However, in 1/144 scale, a lot of the detail is invisible and best sanded off anyway.
This is where they are at present after sanding back old and rubbishy original attempts at painting and a session of renewed painting. So far, all the paint applied has been Halford's acrylics. Next up will be applying the red wings to the Trident - which will be finished in the BEA Red Square colours of the 1960s.
The 737 is going to be finished as an Aer Lingus machine from the 1969-74 era.
I go through phases of picking up my airliner kits and putting them down again. I've got quite a few in the stash. I'm determined to get these two finished.
I have a part completed Lockheed Super Constellation as well which I intend to finish in the markings of Aerlinte Eireann. Although most people think of Aer Lingus as Ireland's national airline, up until 1974, the airline was actually two airlines, Aer Lingus and Aerlinte Eireann. Aer Lingus did the UK and European Routes and Aerlinte did the North Atlantic. The airline was reorganised into a single entity during the changeover to the new colour scheme introduced that year.
For marketing purposes, between about 1964 and 1974, Aerlinte was branded as "Irish International Airlines" so that the Yanks could work out where the aeroplanes were from.
As you can see from the picture below, the words "Aer Lingus" do not appear on the Super Connie.
The slightly later scheme from around 1966 or so shows some acknowledgement of the link with Aer Lingus but you can see that on the US route aircraft "Irish International" came before "Aer Lingus", which was reversed on the European route aircraft.
And it's lovely to see that classic livery getting an airing again. It looks really good on an Airbus A320
I have a part completed Lockheed Super Constellation as well which I intend to finish in the markings of Aerlinte Eireann. Although most people think of Aer Lingus as Ireland's national airline, up until 1974, the airline was actually two airlines, Aer Lingus and Aerlinte Eireann. Aer Lingus did the UK and European Routes and Aerlinte did the North Atlantic. The airline was reorganised into a single entity during the changeover to the new colour scheme introduced that year.
For marketing purposes, between about 1964 and 1974, Aerlinte was branded as "Irish International Airlines" so that the Yanks could work out where the aeroplanes were from.
As you can see from the picture below, the words "Aer Lingus" do not appear on the Super Connie.
The slightly later scheme from around 1966 or so shows some acknowledgement of the link with Aer Lingus but you can see that on the US route aircraft "Irish International" came before "Aer Lingus", which was reversed on the European route aircraft.
And it's lovely to see that classic livery getting an airing again. It looks really good on an Airbus A320
Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 16th February 11:59
There are a number of techniques to make that easier.
One is to leave out the passenger cabin clear window parts completely. Assemble and paint the model as normal and then, when everything is finished, "glaze" the passenger cabin window apertures using a liquid glazing substance such as Microscale Krystal Klear or Humbrol's Clearfix.
This still leaves the problem of painting and masking the flight deck windows.
My favoured alternative technique is -
before assembling the fuselage, glue a strip of plasticard behind the fuselage window openings
glue the two fuselage halves together
glue in the cockpit windows
fill the fuselage window apertures with your favourite brand of model filler or putty. At the same time fix any gaps that may exist around the cockpit windows with filler
once the filler is dry, sand back and blend the putty until the old window apertures have disappeared
Then go ahead and finish assembling and painting the model in the normal way.
The windows are now part of the decalling process.
Some kits give you the windows as decals in the first place. There are also now lots of after market decal sets for airliners and they almost always provide passenger cabin and flight deck windows. The great thing about these window decals is that you can replicate far more accurately some of the subtleties of airlner windows, such as chromed metal window surrounds - a feature of aitrcraft such as the Boeing 707 and impossible to replicate otherwise. Or perhaps windscreen wipers on the cockpit windows.
In 1/144 most of these tiny details are just too small to include in any other way.
You can see from the pictures posted above that the window "holes" have been completely filled and painted over, including the cockpit windows.
The cockpit glazing on the Trident is particularly dreadful fit and a very poor representation of the real thing. Also, the Trident had odd cockpit windows in that the rear flight deck window on each side was "tear drop" shaped and the windows also had a chromed surround. The only way this can be represented on a 1/144 model is by a decal. Airfix also omitted the "eyebrow" windows in the cockpit cabin roof.
One is to leave out the passenger cabin clear window parts completely. Assemble and paint the model as normal and then, when everything is finished, "glaze" the passenger cabin window apertures using a liquid glazing substance such as Microscale Krystal Klear or Humbrol's Clearfix.
This still leaves the problem of painting and masking the flight deck windows.
My favoured alternative technique is -
before assembling the fuselage, glue a strip of plasticard behind the fuselage window openings
glue the two fuselage halves together
glue in the cockpit windows
fill the fuselage window apertures with your favourite brand of model filler or putty. At the same time fix any gaps that may exist around the cockpit windows with filler
once the filler is dry, sand back and blend the putty until the old window apertures have disappeared
Then go ahead and finish assembling and painting the model in the normal way.
The windows are now part of the decalling process.
Some kits give you the windows as decals in the first place. There are also now lots of after market decal sets for airliners and they almost always provide passenger cabin and flight deck windows. The great thing about these window decals is that you can replicate far more accurately some of the subtleties of airlner windows, such as chromed metal window surrounds - a feature of aitrcraft such as the Boeing 707 and impossible to replicate otherwise. Or perhaps windscreen wipers on the cockpit windows.
In 1/144 most of these tiny details are just too small to include in any other way.
You can see from the pictures posted above that the window "holes" have been completely filled and painted over, including the cockpit windows.
The cockpit glazing on the Trident is particularly dreadful fit and a very poor representation of the real thing. Also, the Trident had odd cockpit windows in that the rear flight deck window on each side was "tear drop" shaped and the windows also had a chromed surround. The only way this can be represented on a 1/144 model is by a decal. Airfix also omitted the "eyebrow" windows in the cockpit cabin roof.
You will need to sort out the nose, which is totally wrong. And the wing fences. And the missing APU exhaust.
The Airfix 1-11 was based on the prototype (which sadly crashed) and the first couple of production aircraft. From about aircraft No.4 on the nose profile was much pointier. The earlt aircraft were also converted to the sharper profile nose.
The Airfix 1-11 was based on the prototype (which sadly crashed) and the first couple of production aircraft. From about aircraft No.4 on the nose profile was much pointier. The earlt aircraft were also converted to the sharper profile nose.
There was a company called Gatwick Miniatures or something like that who produced a resin nose for the Airfix 1-11 with the more correct sharper profile, but it's relatively easy to do it yourself with a dollop of filler and some filing and sandpapering.
(I'll dig out mine and photograph it tomorrow.)
(I'll dig out mine and photograph it tomorrow.)
I'm not happy with the way the painting on the 737 has gone. I think it will need to be stripped back and started over again. In the meantime I will resurrect my Aerlinte Éireann Super Connie project.
It's the Minicraft kit (as opposed to the more modern Revell kit). It's not as crisp or precise as the Revell kit but in some ways it's reputed to be more accurate and it comes with the blunt "non-weather radar" nose fitted to the Aerlinte aircraft - as can be seen.
It's the Minicraft kit (as opposed to the more modern Revell kit). It's not as crisp or precise as the Revell kit but in some ways it's reputed to be more accurate and it comes with the blunt "non-weather radar" nose fitted to the Aerlinte aircraft - as can be seen.
Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 19th February 10:52
Connies were gorgeous.
Aerlinte only used them for 3 years - 1958 to 1960 and they were leased from Seaboard and Western, so retained their US registrations.
Ten years earlier they had actually purchased some standard 749 Comstellatons for North Atlantic operations but a change of government in 1948 saw the idea scrapped and the aircraft sold to BOAC. I wouldn't mind doing a short fuselage 749 Constellation in Aerlinte colours but no one (so far) has made appropriate decals.
Aerlinte only used them for 3 years - 1958 to 1960 and they were leased from Seaboard and Western, so retained their US registrations.
Ten years earlier they had actually purchased some standard 749 Comstellatons for North Atlantic operations but a change of government in 1948 saw the idea scrapped and the aircraft sold to BOAC. I wouldn't mind doing a short fuselage 749 Constellation in Aerlinte colours but no one (so far) has made appropriate decals.
Update on the Connie.
Masking and painting completed. The white is Halfords Appliance White and the metal areas are various shades of Alclad - which is lovely stuff.
Time for the decals - which will probably take me most of the week as there is a fair amount of work involved.
The sheet was produced a number of years ago by Max Decals in Ireland and contains markings for a late 1950s/early 1960s Aer Lingus DC-3 and Fokker F-27 as well.
Masking and painting completed. The white is Halfords Appliance White and the metal areas are various shades of Alclad - which is lovely stuff.
Time for the decals - which will probably take me most of the week as there is a fair amount of work involved.
The sheet was produced a number of years ago by Max Decals in Ireland and contains markings for a late 1950s/early 1960s Aer Lingus DC-3 and Fokker F-27 as well.
SlipStream77 said:
That looks very nicely painted Eric, I'm looking forward to the finished model.
Thanks.I didn't get a good opportunity to do much work on it today. All I managed was to finish painting the undercarriage assembly and finally attach the propellors correctly to the engine cowlings and mounts. I will leave off all these ancilliaries until the decalling is finished.
The first task in decalling will be to apply some black edging to the grey wing walk ares. This is not provided in any of the decal sheets I have so I will have to resort to cutting strips of black decal trim to length.
I got plenty of practice doing this when I built the Space Shuttle a few months ago
) look great. My scanner seems to have given up the ghost recently. I'll have to take a chance on the decals as they are.
They aren't THAT old (less than ten years), Max Decals are usually excellent and these look in very good nick.
The decals I used on my recent Spitfire VIII were probably 38 years old and worked really well.
They aren't THAT old (less than ten years), Max Decals are usually excellent and these look in very good nick.
The decals I used on my recent Spitfire VIII were probably 38 years old and worked really well.
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